Washing-machine.



T. J. WINANS.

WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY z, 1907.

PATENTBD'JUNE 23, 1908.

z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 891,788. PATENTED JUNE 23, 190s.

' T. J. WINANS.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1907 A fr0/UVE V5 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

THOMAS JEFFERSON WINANS, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE 1900"-WASHER COMPANY, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application inea July 2, 1907. semi No.381,843.

Patented June 23, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 4it known that I, THOMAS J. WINANs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Washing-Machine, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to washing machines of that class in which acontinuously revoluble shaft is employed for driving purposes, and is soconnected to the tub or movable member of the washer as to impartoscillatory movement thereto.

In washing machines of this class it is found necessary to employ` someyieldable or cushioning means in the connections in order to compensatefor the indeterminate arc of oscillation of the tub. The tub when filledwith water and clothes to be washed is quite heavy and asthe movement iscomparatively rapid it is impracticable to employ fixed stops forlimiting the arc of oscilation. It has been found by experiment thatbetter results are obtained by allowing the tub to control its own rangeof movement within certain limits, and the extent of this movementdepends on the weight of the tub and its contents and the velocity.

In carrying out the present invention, the principal object is toprovide a yieldable connection in the power transmitting means, theconnection being of such nature as not to interfere with the continuousuniform rotative movement of the shaft and to render the load on themotor element uniform through all periods of its movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a yieldable connectionof such nature that it may in itself act to a limited extent in thecheckin of the oscillatory movement of the tub as t e latter approachesthe limit of its movement and assist in the starting of the returnmovement of the tub.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter inwhich an oscillatory element is provided with an armextending radiall therefrom, and which supports a slidab e block towhich a crank actuated pitman is connected, the block being mountedbetween opposing springs which will yield to permit movement of theblock in the length of the arm to a degree corresponding to variation inthe arc of oscillation.

With these and other objects in view, as

will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details ofthe structure may be made without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a washingmachine provided with a power transmitting mechanism constructed inaccordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionalelevation of a portion of the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan view of themechanism with the tub and frame detached. Fig. 4 is a side elevation ofthe pitman showing the crank and slidable block in section. Fig. 5 is aperspective view of one of the spider carrying plates, detached. Fig. 6is a similar view of the spring held easing or checking lever. Fig. 7 isa view corresponding to Fig. 3 illustrating a modification of theinvention. Fig. 8 is a sectional perspective view on the arm shown inFig. 7.

ig. 9 is a plan view illustrating a further modification of theinvention.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The fixed frame of the machine comprises a platform 10 supported by legs11 of any suitable construction and extending across the platform is ahorizontal bar 12 to one end of which is secured a vertical bar 13, thelatter serving in connection with another frame member for the supportof an upper horizontal bar 14. The construction and arrangement of theframe may be modified in a variety of ways, that shown in the presentinstance being one of the most simple forms employed for the support ofthe tub, the wringer, and the operating mechanism.

Secured to one side of the frame are brackets 15 for the support of avertical shaft 16 that is driven from a suitable motor mechanism of anycharacter, the motor being preferably connected through a belt wheel 17and suitable gearing to the shaft 16. At the lower end of the shaft 16is secured a crank 19 from which oscillatory movement is imparted to thetub or clothes container.

Supported by the central portion of the frame is a bearing 20 in whichis stepped a shaft 21, the upper end of said shaft being threaded forthe reception of a nut 22. Secured to the upper portion of the shaft aretwo clamping plates 23 and 24 approximately triangular in form andprovided with radial grooves for the reception of spider arms 25 thatextend out to the periphery of the tub X and are suitably connectedthereto.

Projecting from the lower plate 23 is a crank arm 27 that is disposed ina radial line from the center of the shaft 21, and on this arm ismounted a slidable block 28 that is connected to the crank 19 by apitman 29 and as the crank rotates, the arm 27 will be oscillated andthis movement will be transmitted to the tub or oscillatory rubbingmember.

As before pointed out, it has been found in practice that the tub cannothave a fixed arc of oscillation and cannot be abruptly stopped at theend of one movement and immediately started on the return movement. Thearc of movement of the tub varies with its weight, and the weight of itscontents and the velocity, so that while the stroke of the revolublecrank remains constant, the stroke of the v oscillatory crank-arm 27 isvariable, and it,

therefore, becomes necessary for the block 28 to assume positions atvarying distances from the axis of the shaft 21. To accommodate this theblock 28 is free to slide on the arm 27 and the block is normallymaintained in the position shown in Fig. 3 by means of two springs 30and 3l that surround the arm and bear against the opposite ends of theslidable block. As the stroke of the arm varies, one or other of thesprings will be compressed and the greater the stroke the greater thedegree of compression. As the spring is compressed the energy thusstored is ready to be utilized when the tub comes to a full stop, and isexpended in starting the tub on the return stroke.

While the springs 30 and 31 might alone be utilized in connection withrelatively small machines it is not found advisable to depend wholly onthis Where the tub and its contents are of any considerable weight, suchfor instance as one hundred and forty or one hundred and fifty pounds,and in machines of this type it is preferred to employ auxiln iarychecking and return springs.

Mounted loosely on the shaft 21. is an easing lever 35 having twodiametrically opposed arms which are connected by springs 36 to smallbrackets 37 carried by the frame. The hub of the leveris provided with apair of shoulders 38 which are alternately engaged by a lug 39projecting downward from the plate 23, and as the tub oscillates thislug engages first with one and then with the other of the shoulders, andpartly rotates the lever 35, sothat both springs 36 are placed undertension and the tension is gradually increased to such an extent as toovercome the momentum of the tub and bring the same to a stop, afterwhich the energy stored by the springs is utilized in again starting thetub on the return stroke.

In Figs. 7 and 8 is illustrated a slight modification of theconstruction, wherein the arm 27 is in the form of a pair of parallelmembers that are arranged for the reception of the grooved sides of ablock 28. The block 'is held in normal position by the springs 3031 asbefore described, and the operation is in all respects the same as thatof :the construction shown in Fig. 3.

In the mechanism described, it will be observed that during the greaterportion of the operating stroke the transmission of power will be directfrom the rod and block 28 to the arm 27 the springs being practicallyidle during the time the arm 27 and the rod 29 are at a right angle toeach other. As this angle varies in either direction the springs comeinto play and become most effective as the arm and rod approach a commonline.

While the member 19 has been shown and described as a simple crank, thisbeing the most practical form, it is obvious that other mechanicalequivalents may be substituted therefor in the transmission of motion tothe pitman 29, and the term crank is used in the claims to include anymeans carried by or operated from the shaft for operating such pitman.

In Fig. 9 is illustratedaslight modification, wherein the crank arm 27that projects from the spider is connected direct to the pitman 29,while the revoluble crank arm 19 is provided with a slidable block 28that is held in approximately central position by means of two springs30l and 31', the crank arms of the constructions previously describedbeing reversed, but the operation remaining the same as that described,with the exce tion that the yielding occurs at the revo uble crank armrather than at the spider carried crank arm.

l claim2- 1. In a motor driven washing machine, an oscillatory member,an arm extending radially therefrom, a block slidably mounted on saidarm, a driving shaft, a crank on the shaft, a pitman connecting thecrank to the slidable block, and springs tending to hold said block inan approximately central position on the arm.

2. In a motor driven washing machine, an oscillatory member having anindeterminate arc of oscillation, an arm projecting there-v from, arevoluble shaft, a crank on the shaft, and a pitman extending from thecrank and having a slidable connection with said arm.

3. In a washing machine, an oscillatory member having an indeterminatearc of oscillation, an arm projecting therefrom, a

,block slidably mounted on the arm, a power shaft, a crank thereon, apitman connecting the crank to the block, and means for offeringgradually increased resistance to the movement of the oscillatory memberas it nears the limit of its swing in each direction and for startingsaid member on its return stroke after the movement in each direction iscomplete.

4. In a washing machine, a pitman, an oscillatory crank arm having anindeterminate arc of oscillation connected thereto, and a revolublecrank arm connected to said pitman, one of said crank arms having athrow that varies in accordance with the variation in the arc ofoscillation.

5. In a washing machine, an oscillatory member having an indeterminatearc of oscillation, an arm projecting from said member, and an operatinpitman for actuating said arm, the radial istance of the point ofconnection of the pitman with the arm from the center of movement of theoscillatory member varying as varies the arc of oscillation.

6. In awashing machine, a member mounted for oscillatory movement, anarm rojecting radially therefrom, a slidable b ock on said arm, s ringsacting against both sides of the bloc and tending to maintain the samein an approximately central osition,

and an operating pitman connecte to said block,

7. In awashing machine, a member mounted for oscillatory movement, an oeratin arm projecting therefrom, a block sli able on the arm, a air ofsprings acting against the opposite si es of the block, a power shaft, acrank therefor, and a pitman connecting the block to the crank.

8. In a washing machine, a frame, a shaft mounted therein, a pair ofclamping plates carried by the shaft, supporting spiders projecting fromthe plates, an arm projecting from one of the plates, a block slidableon the arm, springs mounted on said arm and bearing against the oppositesides of the block, a power shaft, a crank therefor, a pitman connectingthe crank to the block, an easing lever mounted'loosely on the shaft, apair of s rings extending from the opposite ends of the lever to fixedpoints'on the frame, said lever having a air of oppositely disposedshoulders, and t ere bein a lug rojectinv from one of the clamping Iatesan arrange to alternately en age suc shoulders.

In testimony t at I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

R. F. BIEBER, W. G. TROWBRIDGE.

